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Anna Leigh Lyon Professor Richmond 2110 Voices of Diversity 26 March 2018
A Critical Review of BFE
BFE was an overall compelling show. The actors remained high-energy and fast-paced so that the attention of the audience never lagged. Even when I first read BFE’s script I felt keeping this rhythm was important to building up to its’ final conclusion, and the live performance did not disappoint. The phone calls between Panny and Hugo were quick-witted, and moved the show along without ever feeling rushed. Every scene felt intentional, too. There were no moments where I wondered what the purpose of it was. It all felt as if it was building up to the ending, where it would eventually all collapse.
I felt the cast did a great job with the language of the play, specifically one in particular, Hae-Yoon. Her reading of her notes to Panny were a perfectly poignant, stressed where the emphasis needed to be. The music was well placed as well. It felt necessary during moments of drama or meaning, such as when Panny is on the phone with Hugo. She tells him something she’s never told anyone before, and the music quietly fades in until it is nearly as loud as her voice – it never overtakes it. It made the scene feel dreamier and poignant. This is important because it’s the first self-truth of Panny’s insecurities that she admits to the audience. Though I’m still not certain, I feel like it maybe could’ve played quietly throughout the show. The rhythm is so important, the music might have been a nice background tone to keep it moving. However, it could’ve also taken away from the performance by being too distracting.
While the set was simple and barren, I think that’s what made the most sense for this play. Panny speaks of her surroundings as lacking luster, mostly brown, boring. It makes sense that the set would be too. So much of the story is internally driven by the characters, too grand a set would’ve been unnecessary and taken away from what was happening in their relationships. Part of me does wish there had been a bed for the scene between Panny and Hugo, where they pretend to be laying next to each other. I think that moment of intimacy was important in the script. The actors managed to still portray that on a box, which is pretty impressive. I particularly liked how all the props the characters needed were already in place, though you didn’t notice it until the time came to use them. The blanket, for example. It’s draped over the “furniture” for the entirety of the beginning of the play, but I didn’t notice it until the pizza boy uses it to make a picnic on the floor. I liked this because I felt it gave truth to the “living room” sense. Though it was just boxes, it felt like he’d grabbed a blanket right off the couch.
The costumes were right on the money. Obviously not much was needed for this play other than their character’s every day outfits, but I also felt they fit the time period without being too obvious. Panny’s 90’s hair-do with scrunchies was perfect. It did a great job of making the actress look younger than she was in real life. Also, Lefty’s date night shirt was very 90-esque. At first, I felt Isabel’s robe could’ve been more old-Hollywood, a little less pink fuzz and a little more fake silk, but I can assume that since the budget was low the actor’s had to acquire their own pieces. As the play went on, my opinion changed a little. The way the actress played Isabel made the pink robe more believable as a character choice. It seemed to fit. Another aspect of the costuming that I really enjoyed was the split-second costume change of the General to the pizza boy. Having the actor play both roles not only showcased a cool production trick of costume change, but also fed into Isabel’s delusion.
The acting was well-delivered by all. Lefty’s devotion to his character was so good, the boy next to me leaned over and asked, “Do you think he’s really like that?”. The passion he displayed when he spoke to Evie about his roleplaying hobby was a great example. His voice rose in speed and in pitch, delivering a well-played comedic break when he realizes he’s coming off too nerdy. The geek-y, awkward persona was extremely well delivered. I loved the contrast it brought against Isabel in the scene where Lefty is getting ready to go out with Evie. They’re two totally different characters, both consumed with isolation. Their acting of the way their characters are deciding to cope with that really came out during their argument.
Hae-Yoon’s voice and physical work stood out as well. She made her character the comedic relief it was intended to be. When reading the play, I was confused as to why exactly her character was included, other than to emphasize the “American-ideal”. In UGA’s performance, it felt surprisingly more intentional. Her character was almost haunting, which is ironic because she is such an obliviously comedic role. But it was the way the director chose to have her advance from the audience, rather than beginning on stage. It felt like she was getting closer as the story moved towards its’ climax. This felt most true during Panny’s abduction scene, when Hae-Yoon interrupts to tell Panny she shouldn’t have gotten in the car. The actress stands at the front row of the audience, hands outstretched and speaking to Panny. For some reason, this placement of Hae-Yoon made her feel more necessary than even in the script. I realized Panny probably began writing Hae-Yoon, even though initially she didn’t want to, because she was driven by loneliness. Therefore, in a lot of ways, Hae-Yoon was a manifestation of Panny’s isolation. I felt this could’ve been better shown by the actress who played Panny because as an audience member I wasn’t quite feeling that from her. But it turned out this wasn’t entirely necessary, as the other cast members did a great job at portraying their character’s feelings and exuding the overall theme of loneliness. The setting of the Stovall chapel seemed to play well into this, even though it was not a choice made by the production crew.
Overall, the performance was great. The story in itself is ambiguous, but I felt the cast and direction of the production played into that. It was more about failed relationships and the dangers of isolation that often play into bigger consequences. I know every audience member walked out of the show reminiscing on a time when they felt as lonely and as lost as Panny and her family did. I felt drawn to the characters and sympathetic, because at some point, we’re all Panny’s.
Anna Leigh Lyon
Professor Richmond
2110 Voices of Diversity
26 March 2018
A Critical Review of BFE
BFE was an overall compelling show. The actors remained high-energy and fast-paced so that the attention of the audience never lagged. Even when I first read BFE’s script I felt keeping this rhythm was important to building up to its’ final conclusion, and the live performance did not disappoint. The phone calls between Panny and Hugo were quick-witted, and moved the show along without ever feeling rushed. Every scene felt intentional, too. There were no moments where I wondered what the purpose of it was. It all felt as if it was building up to the ending, where it would eventually all collapse.
I felt the cast did a great job with the language of the play, specifically one in particular, Hae-Yoon. Her reading of her notes to Panny were a perfectly poignant, stressed where the emphasis needed to be. The music was well placed as well. It felt necessary during moments of drama or meaning, such as when Panny is on the phone with Hugo. She tells him something she’s never told anyone before, and the music quietly fades in until it is nearly as loud as her voice – it never overtakes it. It made the scene feel dreamier and poignant. This is important because it’s the first self-truth of Panny’s insecurities that she admits to the audience. Though I’m still not certain, I feel like it maybe could’ve played quietly throughout the show. The rhythm is so important, the music might have been a nice background tone to keep it moving. However, it could’ve also taken away from the performance by being too distracting.
While the set was simple and barren, I think that’s what made the most sense for this play. Panny speaks of her surroundings as lacking luster, mostly brown, boring. It makes sense that the set would be too. So much of the story is internally driven by the characters, too grand a set would’ve been unnecessary and taken away from what was happening in their relationships. Part of me does wish there had been a bed for the scene between Panny and Hugo, where they pretend to be laying next to each other. I think that moment of intimacy was important in the script. The actors managed to still portray that on a box, which is pretty impressive. I particularly liked how all the props the characters needed were already in place, though you didn’t notice it until the time came to use them. The blanket, for example. It’s draped over the “furniture” for the entirety of the beginning of the play, but I didn’t notice it until the pizza boy uses it to make a picnic on the floor. I liked this because I felt it gave truth to the “living room” sense. Though it was just boxes, it felt like he’d grabbed a blanket right off the couch.
The costumes were right on the money. Obviously not much was needed for this play other than their character’s every day outfits, but I also felt they fit the time period without being too obvious. Panny’s 90’s hair-do with scrunchies was perfect. It did a great job of making the actress look younger than she was in real life. Also, Lefty’s date night shirt was very 90-esque. At first, I felt Isabel’s robe could’ve been more old-Hollywood, a little less pink fuzz and a little more fake silk, but I can assume that since the budget was low the actor’s had to acquire their own pieces. As the play went on, my opinion changed a little. The way the actress played Isabel made the pink robe more believable as a character choice. It seemed to fit. Another aspect of the costuming that I really enjoyed was the split-second costume change of the General to the pizza boy. Having the actor play both roles not only showcased a cool production trick of costume change, but also fed into Isabel’s delusion.
The acting was well-delivered by all. Lefty’s devotion to his character was so good, the boy next to me leaned over and asked, “Do you think he’s really like that?”. The passion he displayed when he spoke to Evie about his roleplaying hobby was a great example. His voice rose in speed and in pitch, delivering a well-played comedic break when he realizes he’s coming off too nerdy. The geek-y, awkward persona was extremely well delivered. I loved the contrast it brought against Isabel in the scene where Lefty is getting ready to go out with Evie. They’re two totally different characters, both consumed with isolation. Their acting of the way their characters are deciding to cope with that really came out during their argument.
Hae-Yoon’s voice and physical work stood out as well. She made her character the comedic relief it was intended to be. When reading the play, I was confused as to why exactly her character was included, other than to emphasize the “American-ideal”. In UGA’s performance, it felt surprisingly more intentional. Her character was almost haunting, which is ironic because she is such an obliviously comedic role. But it was the way the director chose to have her advance from the audience, rather than beginning on stage. It felt like she was getting closer as the story moved towards its’ climax. This felt most true during Panny’s abduction scene, when Hae-Yoon interrupts to tell Panny she shouldn’t have gotten in the car. The actress stands at the front row of the audience, hands outstretched and speaking to Panny. For some reason, this placement of Hae-Yoon made her feel more necessary than even in the script. I realized Panny probably began writing Hae-Yoon, even though initially she didn’t want to, because she was driven by loneliness. Therefore, in a lot of ways, Hae-Yoon was a manifestation of Panny’s isolation. I felt this could’ve been better shown by the actress who played Panny because as an audience member I wasn’t quite feeling that from her. But it turned out this wasn’t entirely necessary, as the other cast members did a great job at portraying their character’s feelings and exuding the overall theme of loneliness. The setting of the Stovall chapel seemed to play well into this, even though it was not a choice made by the production crew.
Overall, the performance was great. The story in itself is ambiguous, but I felt the cast and direction of the production played into that. It was more about failed relationships and the dangers of isolation that often play into bigger consequences. I know every audience member walked out of the show reminiscing on a time when they felt as lonely and as lost as Panny and her family did. I felt drawn to the characters and sympathetic, because at some point, we’re all Panny’s.